The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land and gives respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that the MAAS website contains a range of material which may be culturally sensitive including records of people who may have passed away.

Tag: Astronomy

March 23, 2018

January 31, 2018

Sarah Reeves

On Wednesday 31 January, 2018, Australia and New Zealand will experience a total lunar eclipse. This occurs when the moon moves completely into the Earth’s shadow, blocking out the Sun’s light, and plunging the moon into darkness.

November 1, 2017

Lauren Poole

In early 1900, a sponge diver diving off the coast of Antikythera – a small Greek island between Crete and the Peloponnese – discovered the remains of an ancient, wrecked cargo ship. Dated to between 200 and 100 BCE, amongst the ship’s surviving contents of bronze and marble sculptures was a curious piece of rock with an embedded gear wheel.

August 22, 2017

Sarah Reeves

While we wait eagerly to hear whether our colleagues from Sydney Observatory managed to catch a glimpse of yesterday’s total solar eclipse in the US – and quietly seethe with jealousy that we couldn’t be there ourselves (or is that just me?) – it seemed like the perfect opportunity to dig these amazing photographs out of our collection.

August 14, 2017

Sarah Reeves

It’s National Science Week! Tune in each day to meet MAAS’ science curators, discover objects from our wonderful science collection and find out what a science curator actually does in a day. To start off National Science week we interview the Science Curators of MAAS and find out what they love about working in a Museum.

July 21, 2017

July 5, 2017

Andrew Jacob

In late 2016 the exhibition Gravity (and Wonder) explored the human fascination with gravity, space and time through scientific investigations and artistic explorations. In a partnership between Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences curators Dr Lee-Anne Hall and Katie Dyer developed a three month program of events & workshops to support the exhibition.

July 8, 2015

Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

For NAIDOC Week 2015, Luke Briscoe of National Indigenous TV (NITV) writes about the star naming ceremony in honour of Eddie Mabo which took place at Sydney Observatory on 3 June 2015 (Eddie Mabo Day).

January 5, 2015

Kate Chidlow

The Conservation staff undertook the initial sorting out of the various telescope parts at the Castle Hill store. Earlier in the year, Tim Morris, a metals and engineering conservator at MAAS, had begun the restoration of the Astrograph.

March 26, 2014

Lynne McNairn

Saturday 29th March 2014 from 8.30pm to 9.30pm EST is Earth Hour, when we get the chance to turn off the lights and possibly consider our place in the universe. This Meccano orrery is a clever mechanical device used to demonstrate the position, motions and phases of our Earth and the Moon as we orbit the Sun.